PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of pelvic arterial embolization (PAE) for intractable postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) after hysterectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2011 to December 2017, 14 patients who received PAE for PPH that persisted after total abdominal hysterectomy were included (mean age, 33.6 years; range, 26–37 years). The delivery type, cause of PPH, and angiographic findings were investigated. The technical and clinical success rates and clinical outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: Of 14 patients, 8 patients (57%) had positive angiographic findings for bleeding; contrast extravasation (n = 6), and pseudoaneurysm (n = 2). Remnant uterine artery (UA) was the most common bleeding focus (n = 4), followed by vaginal artery (n = 2), left lateral sacral artery (n = 1), and left internal pudendal artery (n = 1). Technical and clinical success rates were 100% and 93% (13/14), respectively. In 1 patient, bleeding was not controlled after initial selective embolization and the entire anterior divisions of both internal iliac arteries were embolized with gelfoam. CONCLUSION PAE for persistent PPH after hysterectomy is a safe and effective treatment. Remnant UA was the most common bleeding site and all patients recovered without any significant sequelae after embolization.

Intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) are abnormal arteriovenous connections that lie within the dura. Intraosseous DAVFs involving diploic venous system are extremely rare. A 46-year-old woman presented with headache and right pulsatile tinnitus for three weeks. The tinnitus started after yelling. Digital subtraction angiography revealed DAVF within the basal portion of right parietal bone along the middle meningeal artery (MMA) groove. The fistula was fed by frontal branch of right MMA and drained into right transverse sigmoid sinus junction through dilated middle meningeal vein. The intraosseous DAVF involving diploic vein was successfully obliterated with Onyx embolization via transarterial route.
Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations* ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Female ; Fistula ; Headache ; Humans ; Meningeal Arteries ; Middle Aged ; Parietal Bone ; Tinnitus ; Veins*

OBJECTIVE: Interhemispheric subdural hematoma (IHSDH) is uncommon, because of their unusual location. However, it is a distinct lesion with its unique characteristics. We investigated clinical features and outcomes of consecutive 42 patients with IHSDH, retrospectively. METHODS: From 2006 to 2015, we treated 105 patients with IHSDH. All patients were diagnosed by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging. We selected 42 patients with thick (3 mm or more) IHSDH. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and radiological findings, management and outcomes. RESULTS: The male to female ratio was 2:1. Two thirds of the patients were over 60 years old. Slip or fall was the most common cause of trauma. The level of consciousness on admission was Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) 13 to 15 in 25 patients. The most common symptom was headache. All IHSDH was hyperdense in CT at the time of diagnosis. IHSDH frequently accompanied convexity subdural hematoma. The outcome was favorable in 27 patients, however, six patients were expired. Twenty-two patients were managed conservatively. Surgery was performed in ten patients to remove the concurrent lesion. The outcome was poor in spontaneous one, patients with low GCS, and patients with conservative treatment. CONCLUSION: IHSDH is rare especially the isolated one. The outcome was dependent to the severity of injury. Surgery may be helpful to remove the concurrent mass lesion, however, conservative treatment is generally preferred.
Consciousness ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Glasgow Outcome Scale ; Headache ; Hematoma, Subdural* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Symptom Assessment

The authors report two cases of epidermoid cyst in the cerebellopontine angle which presented as trigeminal neuralgia. The tumors were surgically removed by suboccipital craniectomy. The cysts were densely adherent to multiple cranial nerves, including the trigeminal nerve, and the tumors occupied adjacent cisterns. After removal of the cystic content, it was sometimes difficult to differentiate the tumor capsule from the arachnoid membrane. In one patient, trigeminal neuralgia was resolved immediately after the operation, while for two weeks postoperatively, the other suffered severe headache and facial dysesthesia due to aseptic meningitis. To avoid surgical complications, it is resonable to leave a minute capsule attached to cranial nerves or blood vessels.
Arachnoid ; Blood Vessels ; Cerebellopontine Angle* ; Cranial Nerves ; Epidermal Cyst* ; Headache ; Humans ; Membranes ; Meningitis, Aseptic ; Paresthesia ; Trigeminal Nerve ; Trigeminal Neuralgia*

Stent assisted coiling (SAC) is a useful technique for the treatment of wide necked complex aneurysm. As the frequency of SAC increases, stent-related complications such as thromboembolism, aneurysm rupture, and vessel rupture have been reported. However, to the best of our knowledge, carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF) after SAC has never been reported. The authors experienced a case of direct CCF after a SAC procedure for treatment of a complex posterior communicating artery (PCoA) aneurysm regrowth, which was treated by clip ligation 12 years before. The patient was managed conservatively and angiograms performed three months after the procedure showed the complete obliteration of the left PcoA aneurysm and the spontaneous disappearance of CCF. Navigation of Solitaire stent lumen with microcatheter can cause unexpected arterial injury, especially when the proximal tip is placed in the curved portion. It seems to be desirable to place the proximal tip of Solitaire stent in the straight portion whenever possible to reduce the risk of inadvertent arterial injury which might be caused by future navigation of stent lumen.
Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Embolization, Therapeutic* ; Fistula* ; Humans ; Iatrogenic Disease ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Ligation ; Neck ; Rupture ; Stents* ; Thromboembolism

PURPOSE: This study has carried out to clarify the relationship between changes in the anal sphincter muscle thickness and pressure. Also, this study shows the effect of vaginal delivery and benign anal disease on the function and structure of the anal sphincter. METHODS: Women (n=42; mean age: 33.2 +/- 9.6 years old) without defecation problems or history of anal surgery, who came to Ewha Womans University Hospital between July 1999 and October 1999, were chosen. We measured the resting and the squeezing pressure with anal manometry and the thickness of the internal anal sphincter (IAS) and external anal sphincter (EAS) by endoanal sonography. RESULTS: The mean squeezing and resting pressures were 98.3 +/- 38.2 and 53.9 +/-17.4 cmH2O, and the mean EAS and IAS thicknesses were 4.9+/-0.9 and 1.9+/-0.3 mm, respectively. The thickness of the EAS and squeezing pressure did not correlate. Neither did the IAS thickness and the resting pressure. In cases with a history of vaginal delivery (n=15), the squeezing and the resting pressures were 94.0+/-43.0 and 57.1+/-22.2 cmH2O, and the thicknesses of the EAS and the IAS, 4.6+/-0.9 and 2.0+/-0.4 mm, respectively. The number of deliveries had no correlation with the thickness or the pressure of the anal sphincter. In patients with benign anal lesions (n=11), the squeezing and the resting pressure was 113.0+/-42.9 and 57.0+/-14.0 cmH2O, and the thicknesses of the EAS and the IAS were 5.0+/-1.3 and 2.1+/-0.4 mm, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the function and the structure of the anal sphincter are independent. In adult women, the thickness of the anal sphincter, the history of vaginal delivery, and the existence of benign anal lesions had no effect on anal sphincter function.
Adult* ; Anal Canal* ; Defecation ; Female ; Humans ; Manometry

Cerebral vasospasm associated with hyperthyroidism has not been reported to cause cerebral infarction. The case reported here is therefore the first of cerebral infarction co-existing with severe vasospasm and hyperthyroidism. A 30-year-old woman was transferred to our hospital in a stuporous state with right hemiparesis. At first, she complained of headache and dizziness. However, she had no neurological deficits or radiological abnormalities. She was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism 2 months ago, but she had discontinued the antithyroid medication herself three days ago. Magnetic resonance imaging and angiography showed cerebral infarction with severe vasospasm. Thus, chemical angioplasty using verapamil was performed two times, and antithyroid medication was administered. Follow-up angiography performed at 6 weeks demonstrated complete recovery of the vasospasm. At the 2-year clinical follow-up, she was alert with mild weakness and cortical blindness. Hyperthyroidism may influence cerebral vascular hemodynamics. Therefore, a sudden increase in the thyroid hormone levels in the clinical setting should be avoided to prevent cerebrovascular accidents. When neurological deterioration is noticed without primary cerebral parenchyma lesions, evaluation of thyroid function may be required before the symptoms occur.
Adult ; Angiography ; Angioplasty ; Blindness, Cortical ; Cerebral Infarction ; Dizziness ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Paresis ; Stroke ; Stupor ; Thyroid Gland ; Vasospasm, Intracranial* ; Verapamil

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of balloon guiding catheter (BGC) during thrombectomy in anterior circulation ischemic stroke. METHODS: Sixty-two patients with acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke were treated with thrombectomy using a Solitaire stent from 2011 to 2016. Patients were divided into the BGC group (n=24, 39%) and the non-BGC group (n=38, 61%). The number of retrievals, procedure time, thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) grade, presence of distal emboli, and clinical outcomes at 3 months were evaluated. RESULTS: Successful recanalization was more frequent in BGC than in non-BGC (83% vs. 66%, p=0.13). Distal emboli occurred less in BGC than in non-BGC (23.1% vs. 57.1%, p=0.02). Good clinical outcome was more frequent in BGC than in non-BGC (50% vs. 16%, p=0.03). The multivariate analysis showed that use of BGC was the only independent predictor of good clinical outcome (odds ratio, 5.19: 95% confidence interval, 1.07–25.11). More patients in BGC were successfully recanalized in internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion with small retrieval numbers (<3) than those in non-BGC (70% vs. 24%, p=0.005). In successfully recanalized ICA occlusion, distal emboli did not occur in BGC, whereas nine patients had distal emboli in non-BGC (0% vs. 75%, p=0.001) and good clinical outcome was superior in BGC than in non-BGC (55.6% vs. 8.3%, p=0.01). CONCLUSION: A BGC significantly reduces the number of retrievals and the occurrence of distal emboli, thereby resulting in better clinical outcomes in patients with anterior circulation ischemic stroke, particularly with ICA occlusion.
Carotid Artery, Internal ; Catheters* ; Cerebral Infarction ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Stents ; Stroke* ; Thrombectomy*

We report a rare case of scalp arteriovenous malformation(AVM). A 55-year-old woman presented with a pulsatile palpable mass on her left temporo-parietal scalp. She complained of insomnia because of bruit, which was audible when she lay on her left side. Computed tomography angiography(CTA) for the scalp vessel showed AVM on the left temporo-parietal region. Multiple enlarged arteries, such as the superficial temporal artery, posterior auricular artery, and occipital artery, were directly connected to the elongated dilated superficial temporal vein. Digital subtraction angiography also showed similar results. Fistulous portions were clearly delineated on both modalities. Surgical excision of the malformations, including feeding arteries and the draining vein, resulted in immediate relief of the symptoms. Usefulness of CTA in the diagnosis of vascular lesions on the scalp was emphasized.
Angiography* ; Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Arteries ; Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Scalp* ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Temporal Arteries ; Veins

The waffle-cone technique is a modified stent application technique, which involves protrusion of the distal portion of a stent into an aneurysm fundus to provide neck support for subsequent coiling. The authors report two cases of wide necked basilar bifurcation aneurysms, which were not amenable to stent assisted coiling, that were treated using the waffle-cone technique with a Solitaire AB stent. A 58-year-old woman presented with severe headache. Brain CT showed subarachnoid hemorrhage and angiography demonstrated a ruptured giant basilar bifurcation aneurysm with broad neck, which was treated with a Solitaire AB stent and coils using the waffle-cone technique. The second case involved an 81-year-old man, who presented with dizziness caused by brain stem infarction. Angiography also demonstrated a large basilar bifurcation unruptured aneurysm with broad neck. Solitaire AB stent deployment using the waffle-cone technique, followed by coiling resulted in near complete obliteration of aneurysm. The waffle-cone technique with a Solitaire AB stent can be a useful alternative to conventional stent application when it is difficult to catheterize bilateral posterior cerebral arteries in patients with a wide-necked basilar bifurcation aneurysm.
Aged, 80 and over ; Aneurysm ; Angiography ; Brain ; Brain Stem Infarctions ; Catheters ; Dizziness ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neck ; Posterior Cerebral Artery ; Stents ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage